Optimized scatternet topologies for personal area networking in dynamic environments

In a scenario where different radio technologies cooperate to provide access to the Internet and advanced wireless services to mobile and nomadic users, Bluetooth is considered an enabling technology for the personal area networking segment. To this aim, Bluetooth devices should be able to set-up a wireless multihop network with given topological characteristics and with limited formation delay. In this work SHAPER, a distributed algorithm for tree scatternet formation, is enhanced to work in a dynamic environment where devices enter and leave the personal area network and require a fast interconnection with an optimized topology. We define a procedure (called SHAPER-OPT) that produces a meshed topology applying a distributed scatternet optimization algorithm (DSOA) on the network built by SHAPER. Nodes are shown to be able to easily join or leave the scatternet at any time, without compromising the long term connectivity. Benefits brought by DSOA are shown by performance analysis, while the delay for network set-up and reconfiguration in dynamic environments is shown to be within acceptable bounds.